Railway block system and locomotive equipment for operating the same.



PATENTEDSEPT. 3, 1907.

, H.LONGAUBR. RAILWAY BLOCK SYSTEM AND LOGOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT FOROPERATING THE SAME,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1907.

3 S HEETS-SHEET 1 PATBNTBD SEPT. S, 1907i H. LONGAUER. RAILWAY'BLOGK'SYSTEM AND LOGOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY16.1907.

a sums-$11221? 2.

No. 864,974. PATENTBD SEPT. 3, 1907.

g H. LONGAUER. RAILWAY BLOCK SYSTEM AND LOGOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT FOROPERATING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1907 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 3- VIII;

' the same looking larged cross-section, as indicated by line 3-3 ofFigs.

as supports. for horizontal rock-shafts which is carried by post 1 tic-ethe d istanee coveredb'y a single block of the UNITED STATES No.864,974. Specificationo SCONSIN, ASSlGNOR OF .FOR'lY-F'IVE ON f LettersPatent.

PATENT OFFICE.

OPERATING THE SAME.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

Applicationlilhd liiay 1907- Seritilflo- 0 To (IUTNIIOHL it may concern:

lie it known that 1, Montana lloxoiulnn, a 'citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the town of Wain \vatosa, in the county ofhlilwnnkee and State of Wiscousin, have inv ntedecrtainnew and usefulImprovements in tailway. l-iloek Systems and Locomotive Equipment. [orOperating the Same; and I do hereby declare that. the following is :1-Iull, clear, and exact description thereof. t i

The object of niy invention is to provide a simple and positivelyactuated railway block-system, the system being so arranged inconnection with equipment carried by the locomoti\'es of trains, as tomechanically cut otT the motive-power and effect a setting of the brakesof trains running upon a single track, when the 1 same enter a'connnonblock of said system. The invention therefore consists in certainpeculiarities oi construction and combination of parts as hereinafterdescribed 'with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequentlyclaimed.

in the drawings: Figure I. represents a plan view, in diagram, of asingle block oia system, comprising a series of connected signals placedparallelivith and ad jacentlto one side of a railway-track (not shown)with portions of engines carrying actuating-devices therefor at eitherend of the block; Fig; 2, an elevation of from the track-side; Fig. '3,an ent i i l r .l and 5, a portion oi-a locomotive-cab withsignal-operating attachment being shown in operative position withrelation to the block-signal mechanism; Fig. 4, a detail plan view ofthe engine-cab and engine operating-niechanism, the same being shown inconnection with a'iragment oi the block-system; Fig. 5,'a longitutudinalsectional View of the same, as indicated by line 5-5 oltho precedingfigure, and Fig. (i, a plan View, in diagram, illustrating the means forclearing the signal-operating mechanism from the side of a tunnel asReferring by elntracters to the drawings, 1', 2,3, and

overhead brackets 5, 5, and (5, 6, which brackets serve 7. thatproject-to- (not shown) and carry The first flag of the series, isoigreater length than those carried by the other posts, said flag beingdesigned to guard against rear-end collisions only. The above mentionedseries of flags arearrangod to be 'o'pe'r ated by-mechanisnrcarried by alocomotive iftravop ing from right to left, assllov'vn in Fig. 1' of thedrawings, it being understood that an indefinite nunibe'i' ol' sutihflags and intermediate posts may be utilizeihas iii praci system wardstlle'outer rail of a track signalJlags S at their ends;

hundred foot. 1 The shank of the flag carried by post J has projectingtherefrom a bell-crank 9, one arm oi which crank is connected to atrip-cable 10 that passes downward and over a pulley 11, and is linkedto the end of a gate 12, the gate .beingjiinged between ears projectingfrom the rear portion ol' bracket ti that is secured to post- 2 of theseries. Post 3 of the system is provided with a duplicate equipment ofpost just described, the gate 12" in this case, to which a trip eableit) is linked being hinged to bracket 6 of the last post 4 ,of theseries.

Arms l tol the bell-cranks and corresponding arms 15, which project iromthe shanks of each of the re maining flags, are all connected by acommon actuating cable 16, by means of which cable motion is transmittedto the entire series of flags, whereby their position is changed from ahorizontal, imlicuting a clear track, to that of a vertical. position,indicating danger.

The above changes of position are effected by a vertical spindle 17mounted upon a boom 18, which boom 7 5 is carried by and projects beyondthe locomotive cabrent 19, and as shown in Fig. l, thespindle of engineA, when traveling in the'direction indicated by the arrow, will engagetrip-cable 10, it being understood that the system is now clear and all[tags are set in' a longitudinal position. The several parts being inthe clear position, asindicated, cable 10 will be obliquely across the.travel otthe spindle 17, the gate 12 forming a continuation of theoblique line of the trip-cable, and trip-cable 10 at the opposite end ofthe block lies parallel to travel of the spindle, while its gate ]2stands at a right-angle thereto. I

As locomotive A passes the iirst'post of the system, ,its spindle 17engages the trip-cable 10, this causes said cable to gradually assume aparallel position, and in doing so rocks the connected bell-crank, whichcrank through its connection imparts a quarter turn to all the flags,causing the same to take a vertical position indicating danger. Thespindle then passes under the end ofthd gate to which the trip-cable is9.; connected, said gate at this time being in a position at aright-angle to the cable. The opposite end tripcable 10 in the meantime,through its bell-crank connection, has taken an oblique positioncorresponding to that previously assumed by trip-cable 10 just noted 10upon. Should the locomotive or train be free to pass out of the block,the spindle 17 will act upon the tripcablelOt, which-is nowpblique, in asimilar manner to that just described, and thus restore the signal flagsto their clear position, as the locomotive or train leaves the blot-k iThelong flag carried by post 1 of the series described,

serves as a protection for a train traveling upon the block from ,rightto left against rear-end collisions,

from post 1 to post t would be {tPPTOXiDliLlLGlY fifteen while theremaining flags protect said train against lid head-on collisions, by atrain traveling from left to right. These flags not only serve assignals to forward and rear trains, but when turned totheir dangerposition project in the path of pins 20, one of which is :carricd byeach locomotive. and is connected by.

in the block to be stopped, but in order to also protect a trainthat'has been stopped in said block from head-on collision with themoving train, which has second series of flags indicated by S, whichcompletes operated the flags, a similar series of flags to thatpreviously described are provided, said flags being actuated in thisinstance, by a locomotive B traveling from left to right, as shown inFig. 1 of-the drawings. This a block, in Construction are duplicates ofthe first series, except that said flags in this instance projectforward upon a different vertical plane than those of said first series,as do also their arms 15 which are.

fast to the rockshalts, and theiractuating-cable 16, these forwardprojecting flags being necessary, in order that the pins 20 carried by;theglocomntives will only engage the flags of the soriesactuated byanother locomotive, the-pins of locomotives traveling in differentdirections being setnn different vertical plants corresponding'to theflags. The flag-mechanism of Lthe secondseries is supported by posts 1?,2,3, 4,

, post 1 being the first from left to right, as shown in the drawings,the remaining pcsts alternating with those of the firstseries throughoutthe block, The trip-cable's 10' 10, of said second series are arrangedupon a lower horizontal plane than those of said first series, so thatthe-spindles 17 of'locomotives traveling in opposite directions will actupon the trip-cables ior which they are intended, and clear-thetrip-cables.

of the other series, the spindles being supported upon their respectivebooms at diiierent vertical and horizontal planes, corresponding to. theseries of flags 'with which they co-act. 4

Referring in Figs. 1 and 2 of the locomotive A enter the block, itsspindle 17 will en gage the obliquetrip-cable 10, causing all fiags ofthe series 8 to assume'a vertical position, these flags with theexception of the firstof the'seriesh'eing short, the

pin 20 of the locomotive will clearthein and said locomotive with itstrain'will be freetopass on. Should a locomotive from the tear'attemptto enter 'the bl ock at this time, its pin 20 would strike the: firstflag and thereby be automatically stopped. If locomotive B enters theblock however at this time from the oppo- 'site direction, its sp'indle17 would actuate the second series of long 7 flags 8. As soon aslocomotive A reached one of these fiags 8, after the same had beenturned to a vertical position, the pin carried by'said 1ocomotive Awould strike the flag and bring theai'oresaid locomotive A to a stop.Should locomotive B enter theblock, the same being clear, itwould m'oveall flags of its series 8-t0 a vertical position as a signal to frontand rear trains, but would not be interrupted drawings, should forthereason that its pin 20 would pass under the flags I 8 of the firstseries and through apertures 21 in its flags 8, which apertures areformed for the purpose of permitting this clearance The first flag orthe second series 8, whichis short, when acted upon by locomotive Bwill, prevent rear-end collision of trains traveling from le'it toright, in a'similar manner to that described in connection with thefirst flag oi the series acted upon by locomotive A.

The means employed for actuating the signals and causing automaticcutoff of the power, together with the setting of the brakes of alocomotive or train is as follows: a v,

The locomotive cab-roof 19 has projecting there.- from a stud 19", onwhich is swiveled the boom 18 having spindle 17 in threaded-connectionwith one of two apertures in its end. The boom-end projects over theside of the cab and is-locked in this position by means ofaspiring-controlled rod'22 guided in ears depending irom the lower faceof said boom, the rod being provided at itsouter end with a verticallydisposed trolley 23 and having its {inner end terminate in a,

plunger, which plunger is adapted to engage recesses or one of a pairof'segmental tracks 24 that project from the cab-roof; Pivoted to ashort arm of the booin is a.-

lever 25, having a depending rib 26, which rib is circumierentiallydisposed with relation to the swivel stud 19 ofsaid boom. The free endof the lever 25 extends outward and terminates at a point directly underthe flagsof the block-system, the pin 20 being threaded into one of twoopenings in said lever, and arranged to contact with any of said flagsof a series, should the latter be in their danger position.- A loopedslide 27 surrounds the stud 19", having tongues28, 29, which are Iguided in ways projecting from the cab-roof, the tongue ofthe slidebeing provided with pins 30,30 upon op-,

positesides of said stud 22 forengagement with the rib 26 of the lever25, Theiorward tongue 28 of the slide serves as a lock for aspring-controlled latch 31, the; tonguefbeing adapted to enteranaperture in the headof the latch and lock the same againstspringtension, The latch-head is guided in an opening in the cab rootand also in an arm of a bracket 32 secured to the underside oi saidcab-roof, When the'latch locked, as shown in Fig. 5, of the drawings, abridge-piece 33 and prevents longitudinal movement oi the same. This rodis guided in openings in the bracket 32 and has a coil-spring37, undercompression between an arm of said bracket, a finger 38 secured to thered, one end oi th e latter being in the path of travel of thecontrollinglever of a steam throttle-valve 39. An oilfilled dashformingthe end of a slot 34 engages a lug 35 of a'rod36 illentends from anarm'oi said'bracket 32, the dash pot being provided 'with avalve-controlled bypass {11 :conn'ecting its Gnds,'and aspring-controlled piston 42, The piston is'held under its spring-tensionby the .fin-

gel 338, and has its end arranged to contactwith and I move thehandlefoi ali' air-brake valvej ififwhen the spring-tension isrelcased'thereirom. In operation, when pin 20 strikes a' flag-it causesthe"lever 25 to swing backward, rib -26 of which will then, through its1 pin-engagement with the slide 27, retract said slide. This actionperinits the spring-controlled latch 31 to drop, thereby releasing therod 36, whichrod shoots forward, releases the controlling lever oi thethrottleirees the spring-controlled dash-pot piston 42, which piston nowmoves forward and acts upon the handle of the air-brake valve 43 tocause the brakes to be set, the

Naive in the by-pass 41 beii1g regulated, if desired, so as fo choke thefree flow of oil from circulating through said by-pass andthereby'controls the time of setting the brakes. The above mechanism isreset by first retracting the rod 36, a. handle 44 being connectedthereto ior this purpose, this rod, through its connections, alsoreiracts the dash-pot piston. The operator next lifts the latch 31, 'bymeans of a handle 45, and then pushes I tongue 28 of the slide into theaperture of said latch,

" maticcut-off mechanism.

by means of a handle 46, thus looking all parts in po- 2. flag, it beingunderstiiod that the engineers valves may be freely used withoutinterference of said aut As illustrated in Fig. 6 of the draiwings, themouth of a tunnel is shown equipped with a guard-wire 47, this "Wire isfast to a post at the requireddistance from the [rod 22, which actionreleases its plunger-end from the recessed segmental track 24, thuspermitting the boom and connected parts to swing back and clear thetunnelwalls. The'trollcy then travels upon the parallel portion of thewire until it runs off at the opposite end of the tunnel, at which timea spring 48 connecting the boom and one of a pair of pins 49 on thocab-top, draws said boomback to its normal locked position. The boom isswiveled upon its studlF) to permit the same being shifted from one sideof the locomotive-cab to the other, so that the mechanism will operateupon the block-system regardless of the direction of travel of saidlocomotive. The change is accomplished by simply unlocking the rod 22,disconnecting, the spring 48 from the pin 49 and swinging the parts overt9 the'duplicato segmental track. The spring 48 is then fastened to theduplicate pin and the device is ready for use, thorib 26 of lever 25being now inposition to act upon pin 30 of the slide 27.

, Both the boom 18 and lever 25 as previously stated, are provided withdoubloapcrturcs, and as shown in the diagram, locomotive A, is travelingfrom left to right, the pin 20 and spindle 17 would be set intho'apertures nearest the locomotive-cab, but if the direction oitravol ofthis locomotive should be reversed, as shown by locomotive B, the boomwould be shifted and the pin and spindle inserted into the apertures attho cxtromo ends of the boom and level, the spindle in this instancc boing shorter to prevent snaring in the trip-cables of the flags of theseries actuated by a locomotive traveling in the opposite direction.

While I have shown and described a complete blocksystemand mechaniiimfor actuating the some, wgcthcr with mechanism to be engaged by thoflags for cutting sition' to be tripped by thepin 20, should it againstrike off steam and settingtho brak es of a locomotive, it is onderstood that the details of said mechanisms may be varied to accomplishthe same result, by thoscv skilled in the art of mechanics, and I do notwish to confine myself to such details. 7

In order to hold the lcvor25 up to its Working-position, and at thcsamotime pcrmit yield thereto when said lever strikes a flag, I provide aspring 50, which is connected to the aforesaid lover and boom 18,serving to hold the lover against a. stop-pin 51 that extends from theboom, as host shown in Figs. .5 and/i oi the drawings.

I claim: v o 1. A railway block-system comprising a series of connectedflags. actuat- ,mechauism conncctcd to the series of flags at both ends,moans -urricd by a locomotive for engagement with the actuntin mechanismof the flags, whereby the position of said llug's is changed as thelocomotive enters the block, and restored to their-normal position assaid locomotive leaves the block, mcan in connection with thecontrolling-valves of another locomotive arranged to be engaged hynnyone of the aforesaid flags when the position of same has been changed bythe first named locomotive on entering the block, a duplicate series offlags, means carried by the last named locomotive for actuating theduplicate series of tings, as said locomotive enters and leaves-theblock, and means in connection with the controlling valves of said firstnamed locomotive nrranged to be engaged by any one of the iings of saidduplicate series. 1

2. A railway block system comprising a serics of connect'ed flags,acmating-mechanism connected to the series of flags at both ends, andmenus carried by a locomotive for engagement with the:1ctu:iting-mocllzmism of the flags, whereby the position of said flagsis changed as the locomotive enters the block, and restored to theirnormal position as said locomotive leaves the block, means in connectionwith the air-brake and throttle valves of another locomotive arranged tobe engaged by any one of the aforesaid flags, when the position of samehas been changed by the first namcd locomotive on entering the block, aduplicate series of flags, moans carried by ,the last named locomotivefor actuating the duplicate scrics ofilags as said locomotive enters andloaves the blocli, and means in connection with tho air-brake andthrottle-vflvcs of said tirst' named locomotive arranged to be engagedby any one of the flags of said duplicate series. 1

3.- A railway bloclosystom comprising duplicate series of connectedflags, actuating-mochanism connected to both series of flag-sat theirends, the first flag. of each series being in a different vertical planefrom all other flags of its series and upon the same plane as that ofthe othersome, means for locking the spriugwontrolled mechanism,releasing menus in connection Wiill the locking-mechanism for engagementwith tho flags ot' the blocicsystem, other moans projcctlng from tholocomotive for cngugcment with tho actualinc-mechanism oi the tings, andmechanism in connection with tho lock-releasing and ling-engaging means,l'iushifting lilo some from side to side of the locomotive.

ln ltcsiimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto sci. my lmnd atMilwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in tlicpm-scnco ol two witnesses.

l lll'lil llt'l LONGAUER. \Vllncsscs (ii-2o. W. Youuo, Josncu (luscun.

